CHALLENGE!!!! split personality

So I decided since it is another rainy day, let's do something fun. You know how you always save your money for a rainy day, well let's scrap something cool.I have a challenge for all you SISters out there! I know Kate & Keli know what I'm talking about.I totally love how on SIS (Scrapping in Style) they show a nice image of someone and then when you run your mouse cursor over their pic then it changes the image to reveal a crazy fun image. Just check out Wilna's image on their site, it is so cool. Take a picture of yourself just how you are and then take a crazy diva pic of yourself. (or someone else can take it!)One in sunglasses, pearls, funky hair, whatever!!!! Be crazy or sexy! Then let's scrapbook a cool page about how people see us and how we think or see ourselves or how we'd like to see ourselves. I think this could be a really fun time! email me your pic or link to your site when you've done it. Have fun guys!

Challenge #6

Let's use multiple patterned paper! Do you always resort to cardstock and then work from there? This time let's build a layout around a favourite patterned paper. Right now my favourite is Scenic Route. The colours just are working so well with my layouts. I did a few a couple of weeks ago and then last night I had to pull out my Scenic Route again and do a super cool layout. It's drying right now, but I'll post it tonight. So combine different patterns, colours, whatever. Remember that quite a few companies out there make this quite easy for you. They create a entire line that coordinates with itself so the thinking process is done for you. Give it a shot, and remember only use cardstock as an accent. Tomorrow I'll give hints on how to combine patterned papers easily. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. Remember email me and I'll post them. scrap-mommy@hotmail.com Have a great day!!!! okay, the following I love this paper line, and it goes so well with melina's pics. of us.

this page is har dto see but the right hand side is only a zig zag pattern, but my kitchen floor makes it look like a full 12 x 12 square.

Challenge #5

Okay, short post today, I have an unbelievable amount of stuff to get done. Sorry. so much exciting stuff has been happening in my life this week so my blogging has taken a hit. so this weeks' challenge is a specific request from a cool lady I met at Camp Croppin. She asked if I could give some tips on doodling, well of course!!!!! It is my favourite thing. So tomorrow I will give step by step directions on how to do a few of my favourite doodles. Today I am going to challenge you to use your own doodles on the page or if that freaks you out. Create a page using doodle stamps or products. Have fun. Remember, email me and I will post them. scrap-mommy@hotmail.com Did I mention, I'm an Auntie!!!!!! I'm so pumped!!!! I've always wanted to be an auntie! I love kids. My sister is doing well. Got the call from mom today, she said Jenn's just exhausted but doing good. Sweet!!!! And Hunter is really doing good and they can go home tomorrow!!!!! Awesome.

Bryan's response to Challenge #4

Thanks so much! Talk about a fast response time hey??? Some people have all the connections. This is a really cool way to use a mask, in such a personal way too. Bryan said he used fabric paint. Great job!!!! Here is a layout that Bryan did using a mask HE created. Awesome!!!! What a beautiful girl too!

Dawn's response to Challenge

Check this out!! I am so inspired to go and do this to my album too!!!!! Dawn this is really beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Got any more objects you've used the masks on? For anyone who doesn't know Dawn, her scrapbook borders go well beyond the average "page" in fact most of the pages are 3D and amazing. When she is done her "bra" layout I am going to ask to put it on my site too. Please go check out her work. I have her as a link on the side!

Challenge #4- use a mask

Hi! so did anyone enjoy today?? Can you believe the weather? I had a few appointments and then permed gramma's hair, but otherwise the kids , gramma & I were out the entire day until right now. (7pm) we did so much walking and playing at the park. Riley & I played tag. It was so much fun. The kids are so super tired now. So anyways, a big congratulations to Evan & Carla, Ethan ,Brooke Shoforost on the arrival of Jett Ryan Shoforost. I'm so happy Carla & Jett are doing well. So that's cool.

This challenge is for Jody. How do you use these Heidi Swapp masks? So I decided why not show a few ways to use these. So this weeks challenge is to use any mask and scrapbook with it. If you've done something pretty cool with one of these send me the pic and I'll post it. Remember you can always email me pics long after the challenge is up too. I've made an area that you can click on " challenges" that will lead you to see all the challenges together. Tomorrow I'll give you tips on how to use them. Below are just a few samples of masks. Heidi Swapp makes so many and they are unbelievably easy to use.

oh and by the way, go check out Jody's layout that she did for Melina's scrapbook your favourite things. www.scraptology-girls.blogspot.com

I'm so pumped. I've been telling Jody and her mom! that they should scrapbook, Jody's very creative so I knew she'd be great at it and she is!!!! Jody, I am so proud of you, and Pam, Melina & I had so much fun scrapbooking with you the other day. Can't wait to see you at Scraptology's Family Album Class on Wednesday. You are going to have so much fun because this class is totally filled with spectacular ladies who I have fun scrapbooking with. You'll have to bring your mom to the next one!!!!

Challenge #3

Okay so last week we worked on improving our journaling. And boy some of you can journal! Let's move on to something different. Let's think outside the box. So what do I mean by that? Why don't we explore a different scrapbook size or shape to what we always do. Try to scrapbook on a Bazzill shape. Why not? We don't always have to do the standard square or rectangle. Be creative, make it that you will still be able to use it though. Cause we are always trying to reach that ultimate goal of getting "caught up" and I don't want to challenge you to a layout you will never use. Below is what I did for the challenge. I won't mount this on a background either. This will be my complete page. Go ahead, try it, and if you want email me and I will put it on my blog on Friday! scrap-mommy@hotmail.com Enjoy!

Challenge Response

How's it going? Did everyone have a great week? So let's see some of the challenges. I'm going to create an area where you can continue throughout the year doing any of the challenges at your own pace. If you want to show me, I'll post them. Challenge #1: a layout about scrapbooking. I wrote:Why do I scrapbook? I want to realive the good & bad times. I want to remember moments that we would sure be likely to forget if not documented. I want to laugh again and cry again. I want the release, the joy I get from exploring my creative side. I want the feeling of anticipation I get when my family is about to look at my latest page. I want to document our life for our future, our family yet to come. But mostly, I scrapbook to remember. Challenge #2: Journal From the Heart (the following scrapbooker would like to remain anonymous, but let's give a shout out to her for entering. Way to go!!!)

Here is my layout about how I feel losing our third child:

journaling reads: the nightmare was over. I just returned from the hospital. I was empty now, a little lost, but mostly stunned. So where do we go from here? I was alone when I hemmoraged while talking on the phone to Jim, who felt helpless. I held my little being, so small just beginning to take shape, covered in the molecular tissue that was the death of my baby, somehow I still looked at the tissue as my beautiful baby, she was mine, our little one. I was so sad. I felt like I cried forever. I failed as a mom. I didn't understand what happened. I had 2 flawless pregnancies, now this. I was puzzled with no answers. I was excited to meet you, to love you. In the morning I phoned Jim to tell him I failed, I hadn't protected our little one. I sat on the floor of our pantry. Riley tried to console me, I had to be his mom, pull myself together. But I couldn't. Jager wanted attention, something that I couldn't give him right then. Jim & I did not know the words to say to each other. Days, weeks, months have gone by. I long for my little one. In children stores, I unconsciously go to the pink section. I feel that you would've been my little girl. Secretly, I have since bought a dress for you, excited & I somehow feel better.reality sinks in. I am a mother of 3, just God is helping me raise my little angel, till the day when we will meet. I miss you. I love you. you will always be the little hole in my heart. I will ache for you. Over time I will forget, but for those few months, I was already planning your 1st day of school.To my family, please let me have those faraway moments & tears because I am just spending time with my angel.

This layout I did last night for my friend Marlys. I gave her a photo shoot from Melina as a gift and when I do that I always like to give a few scrapbooked pages so I'm going to do a few more before I give them to her.

Want to see something cool? I've been one of the featured artist's for the last 2 weeks on Scrapbook.com. (this is a huge U.S. based site equivalent to 2peas. So it was like being a garden girl. SWEET! I took a picture of the screen so many times this week, because I am actually on for 5 different layouts. This is huge since they have a layout collection over 300 000 pages. Jim's been hearing me freak out with excitement that my work has been voted on as "favourite & innovational!! Last night my "beautiful friends" layout was picked up.

on the far top right hand side of this photo is my pic. Cool hey???

If you want to see my work on Scrapbook.com I'm called "scrappaleica". Everyone go submit pages. You get hundreds of truly motivating comments & help. If you become a member, send me an email. I love checking out other people's work!!

On the side is going to be a new place to click to be able to see all the layouts from the challenges. Have fun!

Julie's Challenge-1st scrapbook page ever!!!!

Here it is Julie!!!This is my very first layout ever. I took it as a class at Scrapbooker's Haven,(which is no longer around) by the owner. I am forgetting her name at the moment, but she gave me such good advice and was so patient in teaching me. As you can see, no journaling even back then but this is the month for change! (our engagement photo)

CHALLENGE #2

Today is the Day! CHALLENGE #2: Journal from the Heart! For those of you who don't know me, I am very independent, not a follower and never emotional. I tell it like it is, don't tolerate nonsense and I work like a son of a gun. I do have emotion, but it is kept so deep inside, no one ever sees it. I will stand up for a belief, fight for what's right and pretty much do not have any tolerance for lies or deceit. I am always up to date with my 5W's journaling (Who what when where and how) my interpretation of my children's thoughts & actions but very private about myself. I started blogging last October 2006 but stopped because I developed a form of cancer & consequently lost our third child. (I would have been due in 2 weeks) It really seemed like my world had ended. Nobody would ever have known it, because I continued to be strong, appear happy, so that no one else would be sad, or at a loss of what to say. In one week, I lost the baby, spent nights in the hospital, went for a crazy amount of dr. app'ts & ultrasounds, scheduled for a d&c, and a hysterectomy at the end of the week. Wow! I was filled with terror. Jim was thousands of miles away, feeling helpless and sad. I was distraught (hence the reason why I stopped blogging) Thankfully after numerous tests, I didn't have to get a hysterectomy. The cancer hadn't attached itself to any of my organs. Thank goodness. I still go for bloodwork every 2 weeks for 6 months, guess what ... I only have 2 app'ts left! Yeah!!! Still in the clear, no signs of cancer. Consequently, I have more appreciation for emotion because I think one has to share to heal. (so telling you guys was a huge step for me, I just exposed myself in a harsh reality.) This last month was hard. 2 awesome people I knew died. It wasn't their time. I think so many times that they didn't have the chance to say goodbye, to tell everything they needed to say. Wow. What if something were to happen to anyone of us today. Would we be able to say that those closest to us knew our most deepest thoughts, desires, trials & wishes? Would they be left satisfied or continue to wonder, wishing they had only a minute left to say something. So I blog, not because someone else is (even though I do love checking out my friends & icons sites) heck even I'm not simple enough to believe it started in Saskatoon, it has been going on for YEARS & YEARS in the world. And Why? because people have realized that it is healthy to document life, to share with others. Saskatoon has just been behind. For me, I can connect with family & Friends and express myself through words & pictures. So this is my challenge to you! Scrapbook a subject that is dear to you, that you have a hard time expressing. Maybe an issue you aren't dealing with very well, or a sadness you want to remember, or a happy time that you've never written about that you don't want to forget!!!Maybe it is about yourself,or a world issue like famine & poverty that pulls at your heart. Maybe it is everything you wanted to say to someone but never had the chance. You decide. Remember it is for YOU! Forget the pictures unless you really feel it will add to your story, but let's make a layout that focuses on journaling. Remember, just because you don't have pictures, you can still create a work of art. If you want email it to me scrap-mommy@hotmail.com and I'll post it on my blog. or keep it personal and just give me a comment that you did it & how you feel now that you have done it. Remember, I'm with you too. I am the worst at journaling, but I am starting a new leaf TODAY! Right now! I am going to put my emotions to paper about the loss of my third child. Can't wait till Friday. I may have to call Dawn for help. So I am going to leave you with a very simple layout that I did over a year ago. The journaling is true to my heart. ( a melina photo of course!) Now for something on the lighter note, Yesterday, I took a few snaps of Jager & Zackary (his cousin) playing. It was too funny. These little boys are only 3 months apart.

Oh, and I stole this from Dawn's site. THANKS!!!!! go and check her out. dawnhueser@blogspot.com

I just received a bunch more Camp Croppin photos from Kim, so I'll post tomorrow. I have to do a little red eye fixing. If anyone else has photos from this weekend, keep them coming, I'll keep posting.

Julie's challenge- Let's see your first layouts.

Okay, so I found it, my very first page. But in the middle of scanning it our power went out. Go figure, middle of the day and it goes off. Now I can't get our scanner to send the images to the computer. I think I might have to wait for someone with more technical skill to bail me out. Anyways I did scan 3 newbies that I did when I first had Riley. I find them funny, but I will definitely not redo them. I like seeing how times of changed. So Julie, these will have to do till I can enter my other one. It's not too much different in style. I had the decorative scissors but I didn't really follow the trend of making shapes out of my photos. I Love this one of Jim in the shower with Riley. He is hanging onto daddy and just loving the water hit his back. I had found him a little bath robe in Michigan (at Carter's- a cool kids store) and so I thought they looked sweet. Here's our official first family photo! Zoom in on this one if you want a laugh. The photographer was so choked that I had to stop and breastfeed Riley because of course the only appointment we could get at Sears was during feeding time. Anyways, so we only got 3-5 alright photos. None of Riley & me, just Jim & Riley, and the family. But look at how my bobby pin sticks out. SEXY! I was really into the ripping and tearing stage when Riley was first born.

Here, I am totally proud of myself. I was doing almost all my scrapbook shopping in the states and taking any classes I could down there, so I entered the inking market , and started my love for rub ons. It was so funny, I bought a large dollar amount of rub ons down there,and came up to Saskatoon to get more, nobody had heard of them. I almost died. Now everyone has them, best purchase I ever made. This whole layout pretty much is an overlay.Notice all the single & double matting? Too funny. I stage this little photo shoot with a blanket my gramma crocheted for Riley. The stamp set, my gramma found me at a garage sale. Brings back memories of how I first started doing this.

This was fun. Old photos are totally cool to look back on. I wonder what we'll say about the styles we are doing right now. Can't wait. I should explain though. My very first album was my wedding album, and I was given really great advice. Don't ever cut your photos, especially not around people, don't use crazy and multiple shapes on a page and just keep it all squares and it will look classic forever. I never was a big sticker fan so I actually just did lot's of matting, but I did love the die cut letters. So I took this advice and consequently my first album is really not bad. I did use lot's of angel punches, but I kept all my background the same colour because my album was a handmade album, so my background was a beige. So it isn't very dating. I actually did quite a bit of my own hand doodling, which I think is cool, since I've always loved that and now it is back in fashion.

My awesome dentist, Dane Moore, got me in yesterday and fixed my tooth, so I am happy and feeling a lot better. Still a little sore, but no root canal, so I am very happy.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I can't wait to do some outdoor activites.

Challenge #1- scrapbook a LO about "scrapbooking"

Have I told you lately how much I love scrapbooking. It is amazing being able to do something I'm so passionate about. I truly have the best group of friends to scrapbook with, which makes it fun. Through our classes that we teach at Scraptology; Pam, Melina & I have made some fun friends, ones that even like to get a little crazy on our wine & cheese and fondue nights. Everyone needs an outing, something that allows them to enjoy life a little bit more. So I challenge you this; this week scrapbook a layout or project about ..."scrapbooking". Maybe it is your favourite supplies, your Late night crops, whatever suits your fancy. Maybe it is how scrapbooking has changed your life. Have fun!